Dr. H.V. Ujitha A. Abeywickrema

B.Sc. (Colombo); M.Sc (Akron, USA); Ph.D. (Dayton, USA)

Senior Lecturer - Grade II

Dept. of Physics

I earned my Ph.D. in Electro-Optics and Photonics from the Department of Electro-Optics and Photonics at the University of Dayton, Ohio, U.S.A. in 2015. Prior to obtaining my Ph.D., I completed my M.Sc. in Physics at the University of Akron, Ohio, U.S.A. In 2007, I achieved my B.Sc. (Special
Degree) in Physics from the Department of Physics at the University of Colombo.

My primary research interests lie in digital holography and holographic interferometry for 3D imaging and nondestructive testing. With over 13 years of experience, I specialize in optical bench experiments, as well as beam aligning and shaping.

Following the completion of my Ph.D., I served as a Research Scientist at the Department of Electro-Optics and Photonics, University of Dayton, Ohio, U.S.A. from 2015 to 2018. Subsequently, in 2018, I returned to Sri Lanka and assumed roles as a lecturer and postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Physics, University of Colombo.

In December 2023, I joined the Open University of Sri Lanka as a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Physics within the Faculty of Natural Sciences.

Optics and Photonics

Digital Holography, Holographic Tomography and Topography

Y. Li, U. Abeywickrema, and P. Banerjee, “Dynamics of laser-induced microbubbles in an absorbing liquid,” Opt. Eng. 58, 084107-1-10 (2019) U. Abeywickrema, C. Zhao, P. Banerjee, " Estimation of thermocapillary force during laser trapping of confined microbubbles in a liquid," Opt. Eng. 57, 064106-1-7 (2018).

D. Beamer, U. Abeywickrema, and P. Banerjee, “Statistical analysis of polarization vectors for target identification,” Opt. Eng. 57, 054110 (2018).

U. Abeywickrema, P. Banerjee, A. Kota, S. Swiontek, and A. Lakhtakia, "High-resolution topograms of fingerprints using multi-wavelength digital holography," Opt. Eng. 56, 034117-1-8 (2017).

M. Basunia, P. Banerjee, U. Abeywickrema, T.-C. Poon, and H. Zhang, “Recursive method for phase retrieval using transport of intensity and its applications,” Appl. Opt. 55, 9546-9554 (2016).

U. Abeywickrema, P. Banerjee, and N. Banerjee, “Holographic assessment of self-phase modulation and blooming in a thermal medium,” Appl. Opt. 54, 2857-2865 (2015).

G. Adamovsky, S. Lyuksyutov, J. Mackey, B. Floyd, U. Abeywickrema, I. Fedin, and M. Rackaitis, “Peculiarities of thermo-optic coefficient under different temperature regimes in optical fibers containing fiber Bragg gratings”, Opt. Commun. 285, 766–773 (2012).

 Y. Li, P. Banerjee, and U. Abeywickrema, “Exact solution for laser-induced thermo- capillary force on a 3D microbubble in a liquid,” Proc. SPIE 10875, 108750K-1-7 (2019).
 P. Banerjee, U. Abeywickrema, H. Zhou, B. Bordbar, M. Alam, G. Nehmetallah, J. Khoury, and L. Cao, “Taking correlation from 2D to 3D: optical methods and performance evaluation,” Proc. SPIE 10995, 109950B-1-7 (2019).
 H. Zhou, U. Abeywickrema, B. Bordbar, L. Cao, and P. Banerjee, “Correlation of holograms for surface characterization of diffuse objects,” Proc. SPIE 10943, 1094306-1- 8 (2019).
 Ujitha Abeywickrema, Ph.D. Page 5 of 6
 U. Abeywickrema, R. Gnawali, and P. Banerjee, “Identification of 3D objects using correlation of holograms,” Proc. SPIE 10752, 1075219 (2018).
 Y. Li, U. Abeywickrema, and P. Banerjee, “3D trapping of thermally generated microbubbles,” Proc. SPIE 10723, 107232P (2018).
 U. Abeywickrema, C. Zhao, and P. Banerjee, “Dynamics of thermally generated microbubbles,” Proc. SPIE 10520, 105201S-6 (2018).
 W. Zhou, T.C Poon, U. Abeywickrema, and P. Banerjee, “Multi-wavelength Digital Holography using Acousto-Optics,” Proc. OSA, DW3F. 4 (2018).
 U. Abeywickrema, C. Zhao, and P. Banerjee, “Dynamics of thermally generated microbubbles,” Proc. SPIE, 10520, 105201S (2018).
 A. Downham, U. Abeywickrema, and P. Banerjee, “True 3D digital holographic tomography for virtual reality applications,” Proc. SPIE, 10396, 1039614 (2017).
 D. Beamer, U. Abeywickrema, and P. Banerjee, “Polarization vector signatures for target identification,” Proc. SPIE 10407, 104070T (2017).
 U. Abeywickrema, C. Zhao, P. Banerjee, A. Krishnappa, and U. Sinha, “Optical trapping of metallic nanoparticles using microbubbles,” Proc. SPIE 10078, 1007808-7 (2017).
 A. Krishnappa, U. Abeywickrema, and P. Banerjee, “Laws of nature for forces: the discovery of Cubal laws and constant,” Proc. SPIE 10106, 101061W (2017).
 A. Krishnappa, U. Abeywickrema, P. Banerjee, and U. Sinha, “Optical manipulation of thermally generated microbubbles in a liquid,” Proc. OSA, FF5B. 1 (2016).
 A. Kota, P. Banerjee, and U. Abeywickrema, “Spectral analysis of Bragg and non-Bragg orders in dynamic holography using photorefractive materials,” Proc. OSA JW4A.86, 1-2
(2016).
 A. Krishnappa, U. Abeywickrema, and P. Banerjee, “Optical steering of thermally generated microbubbles in a liquid for targeted metallic nanoparticle delivery Proc. SPIE 9922, 99222V (2016).
 A. Kota, U. Abeywickrema, and P. Banerjee, “Interaction of angular plane wave spectra of Bragg and non-Bragg orders in photorefractive lithium niobate,” Proc. SPIE 9959, 99590C (2016).
 U. Abeywickrema, D. Beamer, and P. Banerjee, “Multi-wavelength Fresnel digital holography in an optical system,” Proc. OSA, JW4A. 57 (2016).
 U. Abeywickrema, D. Beamer, P Banerjee, and TC Poon, “Holographic topography using acousto-optically generated large synthetic wavelengths,” Proc. SPIE 9771, 97710C (2016).
 U. Abeywickrema, P. Banerjee, A. Kota, A. Lakhtakia, and S. Swiontek, “3D fingerprint analysis using transmission-mode multi-wavelength digital holographic topography,” Proc. SPIE 9771, 977110 (2016).
 P. Banerjee, D. Evans, and U Abeywickrema, “Holographic Surface Gratings in Photorefractive Materials,” Proc. OSA FW4A. 3 (2015).
 P. Banerjee, U. Abeywickrema, M. Basunia, and S. Praharaj, “Referenceless 3D reconstruction of amplitude objects embedded in a liquid,” Proc. OSA DT1A. 4 (2015).
 U. Abeywickrema and N. Banerjee, “Characterization and application of bubbles during thermal blooming,” Proc. SPIE 9194, 91940H (2014).
 U. Abeywickrema and P Banerjee, “Phase-shifting holography using Bragg and non- Bragg orders in photorefractive lithium niobate,” Proc. SPIE 9200, 9200Z (2014).
 P. Banerjee and U. Abeywickrema, “A simple optical probing technique for nonlinearly induced refractive index,” Proc. SPIE 8847, 88471O (2013).
 P. Banerjee, U. Abeywickrema, G. Nehmetallah, S. Lyuksyutov, N. Kukhtarev, and P. Buranasiri, “Applications of Bragg and non-Bragg orders in holography and interferometry,” Proc. SPIE 8883, 888307 (2013).

Graduate Student Summer Fellowship (GSSF) – 2014 – University of Dayton, Dayton Ohio, U.S.A.

SPIE officer travel grant – SPIE Optics + Photonics 2013, San Diego, U.S.A.